Eliezer Ben Nathan

Eliezer ben Nathan

Eliezer (pronounced ell-ee-AY-zar) ben Nathan, a Jewish poet and writer, was born around 1090, several years before the beginning of the First Crusade. He studied the Talmud, a book of writings about the Jewish Torah, under some of the most famous Jewish scholars of the Middle Ages. His poetry included prayers for special Sabbaths, poems for Jewish services, and poems that expressed his sadness over the many Jews killed in the First Crusade. His chronicle The Persecutions of 1096 told about the violence that occurred in the European Jewish communities of Speyer, Worms, Mainz, and Cologne. It is one of only three Jewish accounts of the First Crusade that have survived.

Stop Here and Discuss • Who was Eliezer ben Nathan? • What is The Persecutions of 1096? • Why do you think The Persecutions of 1096 is important?

The Persecutions of 1096 was probably written many years after 1096, and Eliezer may have relied on other sources besides his own experience in writing it. With passionate language, he describes how the European crusaders stole from the Jews, destroyed their homes, and murdered anyone who refused to convert to Christianity and be baptized. He writes that the crusaders stole the Torah, stomped on it in the mud outside Jewish homes, tore the scroll, and made fun of the Torah itself, all the while laughing, celebrating, and saying, “This is the day that we hoped for.”

Stop Here and Discuss • What does The Persecutions of 1096 describe? • What did crusaders do to Jews? • According to Eliezer, how did crusaders react to what they were doing?

One of the most shocking parts of Eliezer’s account of the crusades is his description of Jews who killed their children and themselves rather than be forced to give up their religion and convert to Christianity or be killed by the Christian crusaders. Although many of the Jews who did choose to convert in order to save their lives continued to secretly practice Judaism, Eliezer still felt that the Jews who killed themselves displayed more dedication to God. He wrote: “The foe [enemy] hurled stones and arrows at them, but they did not scurry to flee. Women… slew their own sons and daughters and then themselves. Tenderhearted men also mustered [gathered] their strength and slaughtered their wives, sons, daughters, and infants. The most gentle and tender of women slaughtered the child of her delight.”

Stop Here and Discuss • What was one of the most dramatic parts of Eliezer’s chronicle? • How did some Jews react to being attacked by crusaders? • Why do you think they reacted this way?

Eliezer’s description of the effect of the First Crusade on Jews is extremely emotional. He wrote about his enormous feeling of sadness that God allowed so many Jews to be killed. Toward the Christian crusaders he expresses great hate, describing them as arrogant (excessively proud) enemies and oppressors whose anger and violence caused great harm to Eliezer’s people. It was difficult for Eliezer to understand why God could have allowed such an enormous tragedy to happen to the Jewish people, not all of whom could have done things so horrible as to deserve death.

Stop Here and Discuss • What was Eliezer sad about? • How did he feel about the crusaders? • What did he have a hard time understanding?